2010 CHEVROLET HHR Owners Manual

Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs like
your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest.
2-25

Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would
not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body
could move too far forward increasing the chance
of head and neck injury. You might also slide
under the lap belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across the chest.
2-26

Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make
it straight so it can work properly, or ask your
dealer/retailer to fix it.
2-27

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt properly.1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats”in the
Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled
out all the way, the child restraint locking feature
may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature can
affect the passenger sensing system, if equipped.
See Passenger Sensing System on page 2‑70.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 2‑34.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section for use and important safety information.
2-28

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on theshoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap
belt on smaller occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The
belt should return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of
the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the safety belt and the
vehicle.
2-29

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away
from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Push down on the release
button (A) and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position. The
adjuster can be moved up
by pushing the release
button up on the shoulder
belt guide.
After the height adjuster is set to the desired position,
try to move it down without pressing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the
safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met. And, if the vehicle
has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can
help tighten the safety belts in a side crash and rear
events.
Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners
activate in a crash, They will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the vehicle's safety belt
system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash on page 2‑79
2-30

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort guides
for each outboard passenger position in the rear seat.
If not, they are available through your dealer/retailer.
The guides may provide added safety belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed and properly adjusted, the
comfort guide positions the shoulder belt away from the
neck and head.Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
2-31

2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the twoedges of the belt into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
2-32